Williams proposes €30 million annual contract to F1 driver Carlos Sainz

Williams Racing is reported to have prepared a €30 million per‑year contract to keep Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr., a deal that would place him among Formula 1’s highest‑paid drivers. The offer comes as Sainz has publicly criticised the performance of the team’s FW48 car this season. It also follows a clash at the Hungarian Grand Prix where Sainz, while being lapped, collided with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Sainz said he did not see Piastri and blamed a malfunctioning blue‑flag warning system on his steering‑wheel display; Williams confirmed the display fault. Piastri called the incident “one of the stupidest things” he had seen on a racetrack and criticised Sainz’s attitude. Team principal James Vowles defended his driver and reiterated the team’s intention to build around Sainz despite the season’s difficulties.